I feel the earth move under my feet…

The Ozpolitics report on the latest Morgan poll puts Labor with a 15% two-party preferred lead over the coalition. Surely reflective of a groundswell shift in the fortunes of Howard’s government?

It will obviously be an interesting year in the run up to this year’s federal election. Expect some desperate politics and big spending in an attempt to stench the bleeding. I think the Howard era and the great neo-con experiment is experiencing its death throes after a decade of lazy economic leadership and ideological politics made possible by coupon-clipping the commodities boom. The Australian people expect more leaderhsip and direction from the federal government than it is currently providing. I don’t believe that the rigid party machine which has kept Howard in office so successfully is capable of responding adequately to this crisis of confidence. More of the same will not convince voters to give them another term in office.

Rather than bowing out prematurely, Howard should ‘stay the course’ so that voters can put the full stop on his rightful place in Australian history. He should be like his great friend George Bush, and accept full responsibility for the electoral bloodbath that seems increasingly inevitible.